Rotary air motor or pump



N5v.s,1927. f 1,648,092

J. H. WHlTlNG ROTARY AIR MOTOR OR PUMP Filed Jan. ".50, 1922 2 Sheetssheet 1 /f vi 7 25 /q /3 Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

Unirse srArss radiate-2 JOHN H. WRITING, OF UNXSUTAWNEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY AIR MoronL on ruiner.

Aipplcatonkled January 30,k 1922. Serial No. 532,895.

This invention relates to an improved rotary'engine or pump of the type wherein the active element is provided with radially projecting pistons, 4and cooperates with an arrangement of rotary abutinents having recesses to accommodate said pistons at. a period of the rotation of the active element.

rEhe principalobjects of the invention are to provide an engine or pump ot the general structure disclosed in my Letters `Patent No. 1,368,869, dated February 15, 1921, and designed especially for use as an air motor or pump; to secure and maintain an et 1 licient lubricant tluid sealing cooperation against leakage or slippage ot the driving or driven air among the active element, the abutments and the walls of the chambers in which the abutment-s opera-te; tov provide an air motor or pump with an eliicient fluid separating vdevice whereby the driving or driven air is separated `from the sealing fluid and said sealing fluid is retained within the motor or pump; and to provide an air pump or compressor which, through the eiiiciencv oi its fluid sealing system, combined witl'i its advantageously organized parts will be capable of generatingv a much greater pressure of airl than is possible bythe use of such equipments as are now in use.

, With the above objects in view, the. invention consists in certain features ot structure, combination and` relation which wi'll be set forthas the description proceeds..y

An embodiment of the invention is illus the abutments in harmonic relationship with the active element of the structure;

Fig. 4 is a perspective side elevation of the active element;

Fig. 5 is a view taken on line -fofy Fig. 6 is a vertical end view partly in cross section on line 6-6 of Fig. Q;

Fig. 7 shows an inverted and abbreviated form of the invention. l i

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding partis throughout the several views. i l f The operating parts are inclosed in the casing 1 which may be provided with a suitable supporting pedestal 2, and which yis formed internally into a working chamber 3 anda gear chamber 1l, said chambers having a common wall in the longitudinal partition 5 and being closed by the removable end plates G and 7 respectively. The front wall ot the casing is provided with a downwardly extending inlet passage 8; and fat the 'rear oit thelcasing, preferably in its upper wall, an opening 9 provides for the discharge of the air which Vflows througl-i the structure. The passage 8 terminates in adjacency. to a transversely arranged active element or rotor 1() which is provided in the direction of its length with radially projecting blades 11, functioning as pistons. The casing is formed below the inlet passage 8 with a cylindrical surface 12 which has an extent slightly exceeding one third of a circle and whichcooperates with the pistons 11, the surface 12 projecting downward andI backward from the lower end of the passage 8. The element ends withcircumscribing flanges 16, these projecting to the same radial extentas the pistons 11. One oft the iiangesfl@ .lits in a recess in the side plate 6 and is flush with the surface of said plate, and the other flange 16 its in a recessin the partition 5 and is flush with the surface of said partition. The

recesses in whichr the rflanges' are arranged are preferably provided with annular grooves to accommodate suitable contractile packing rings 17 which may be held against rotation by crosspins 18 (Figj) arranged between their adjacent terminals and secured in the walls. of the grooves', the rings 17 preventing the passage lof the air beyond the flanges 16.

The abutments 13 and llareY co-extensive with the active element 10 and operate betweenthe flanges 16 `of said element. Said `arranged within said wall. The side plates 6 and 7 are provided with suitable bearings for the trunnions ofthe abutments and also for the shaft of the active element. The

y, surface of the active element 10 is provided with small longitudinal grooves 20, and the inner faces p of the flanges 16 have radial grooves 21, said grooves cooperating with the surfaces of the abutments in promoting an effectual seal against leakage of the driving or driven air through the cont-act between the abutinents and the active element.

Within the working chamber 3, at the rear ofthe active element 10, is afiuid separating Vdevice consisting of the abutment `24, the partition 25 and the separating` chamber 28. This abutment is co-extensive in length with the active element 10 and operates between the fianges 16 of said element. For economy ofspace, this abutment 24 is but two thirds the diameter of the active element 10, and is provided with only two longitudinal clearances 26 for the accommodation of the plstons 11.- To compensate for the smaller size of this abutment 24, it is geared to rotate at one half fasterv speed. ySaid abutment 24 is arranged on an axis parallel with that of the active element 10 and bears lightly against the surface thereof. Said abutment 24C also operates in relation toa cylindrical surface vin the partition 25. All of the abutments and partitions are co-extensive with the working chamber and flush with the surface of the casing 1 where it is closed by the end plate 6, thus'confining the fluids to their specified channels. y

v'The shaft of the active element 10 and the tru'nnions of alll the abutments extend i through the partition 5 and into the gear is on the shaftof'the active element,'and. since the`abutment24 is but two thirds the` diameter of the active element, its gear 27 is but two'thirds the diameter of the gear 23, lthus giving the abutment 2l the same peripheral speed as the active 'clement and enabling the two clearances of the Said abutment to function properly with the three pistons of the active element.

In operation, the working chamber is provided with a lubricant sealing fluid in a quantity sufficient to submcrge the active element, as represented by the line X-X of Fig. 1. Regardless of whether the machine is used as a motor or as a pump, the passing air, either driving or driven, enters the structure through the inlet passage S, passes under the active element 10 and is prevented by the abutment 2li from accompanying the pistons 11 as they pass upward at the rear of the active element, and is thus compelled to follow the passage 3 around to the rear of the partition and upward into the separating chamber 23. lVhile the air is thus passing along the above described channel, the lubricant sealing fluid is likewise forced along with it, and upon entering the chamber 2S, the sealing fluid is attracted by gravity and descends to the lower' outlet 29 of the said chamber from whence it is carried across the active element 10 by the clearances 15 of the abut- :nents 13 and 14, and is thus returned to the inlet side of lthe structure, while the air passes out at the discharge opening 9.

In cases where it is desired to practice rigid economy of space it may be advisable to use the inverted and abbreviated form shown in Fig. 7, in whichtlie active element ..110 is located above the abutments 13 and 14,

and in which the abutment 2st and the partition 25 may be dispensed with.

I claim as my invention 1. In a machine of the type set forth, in combination with a casing having a single air passage, a rotary cylindrical active element cooperating with said passage, two rotary cylindrical abutments cooperating with said active clement, means for providing a fluid seal against leakage'ol` slippage of the passing air, means for separating the sealing fiuid from the passing air, said means embodying a third rotary cylindrical yabutment engaging the rear side of said active element, three blades functioning as, pistons Vprojecting radially from the cylindrical surface of said active element and spaced equi-distant apart, said abutments having clearances for said pistons, said third abutment being so positioned as to prevent the passing air from accompanying the pistons upward at the rear side of the said active element; i

2. vIn a machine of the type set forth comprising a casing having a single air channel in .combination with a rotary. cylindrical active element co-operating with said channel, three rotary cylindrical abutments engaging said active element, three pistons projecting radially from the surface of the active element and spaced equi-distant apart,y said abutments having clearances for sai-cl pistons and being arranged whereby one of said abutments Will be in sealinzgl engagement with the active element substantiallyy centrally of the surface between `two adjacent clearances when a piston is passing JOHN H. WHITING. 

